Jul

12

You ever have one of those days where everything is going so well that you feel like you should go buy a lottery ticket? I had one of those during the 4th of July weekend.

I had planned to go shoe shopping for me — gasp! — on Saturday, but other stuff kept popping up. I was happy to be getting all the little things on our list done, but was totally bummed because I’d been looking forward to shopping alone for a while. (As an aside, we should note that I hate shoe shopping… I buy a new pair of shoes about once every ten years, but I was inspired by the shoes in this tutorial for a gorgeous skirt.)

Anyway, Sunday I didn’t make it out to the stores for shoes either, but I did manage to get to Hancock Fabrics for their 4th of July sale. I needed to buy some fabric for Alexis’ birthday dress, and I wanted to look at patterns for myself as well. I just ordered this gorgeous fabric from Anna Maria Horner’s Loulouthi line and couldn’t wait to cut into it. For me. Actually, when I ordered it, I had planned to use the Built by Wendy Simplicity 3835 pattern that everyone is using these days. Unfortunately I did not know that it seems to have evaporated into thin air. Seriously, the only copy I could find was on Etsy and listed for like $35. Um. no.

It’s just as well, because when I got the fabric I decided that wasn’t the pattern for it after all. So I was on the hunt. I found several that I thought might work, and then, for kicks, decided I’d check for the Simplicity 3835 pattern. They had five. I can’t tell you how long I stood there debating buying all of them and selling them on Etsy for a tidy profit. In the end, my conscious won out and I only bought two extras. To give away. Did I mention that all Simplicity patterns were on sale for $1.99? Yeah. I know… but it gets better.

So now I’m wandering the store enjoying the peace and quiet… or at least the lack of noise from my children. I found the fabrics I needed for Alexis’ dress (on sale). Then found a couple of fabrics for new jammies for each kid, and I might have put a few bolts in my cart just because they were pretty… Just sayin’.

All this time I’m watching the line to the cutting table snake all the way back to the bathroom. Seriously, who has a big sale and only schedules three people to work? Those poor ladies, they were busting their butts. Anyway, I decide to go search for notions in hopes that the line would die down. And guess what? When I put the last set of pins that I could possibly ever need in my cart, I notice that the line is gone. Poof.

I hightailed it over there just in time because the poor woman was one bolt into my cart full when the line began expanding again… longer and longer and longer… and here I am with my 13 fabrics waiting to be cut. Awkward.

Now here comes the really good part… When she got down to the quilting fabrics I was buying just because I can, the cutting lady shoots the barcode on the end and informs me that TWO of these lovelys were on sale for… wait for it… $1 per yard. I bought the rest of both bolts.

Sadly, I did end up waiting in the mile long line at the register (one cashier, really?) and so I got home about an hour later. And sadder still, no one at home was sharing my enthusiasm at finding multiple copies of a “discontinued” pattern, and super cheap super cute quilting fabric, too. It might have something to do with the fact that I am supposed to be paring down my fabric stash so I can move it into the loft. Boo.

I’m still giddy over the success of it all, but my luck didn’t last…

P.S. — bonus points (for what I don’t know) to anyone who gets the reference in the title.

[...] it wasn’t till I had a light bulb moment while reading a post about the elusive pattern on jmday that it even crossed my mind to look at brick and mortar sewing stores here. Not only did I find [...]